Benz goes electric with eActros test regime

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is putting 10 all-electric eActros rigs on the road within the next month for testing, with the long term aim of offering a competitive range of heavy vehicles by 2021.

The news comes as Daimler announces it will invest Euro2.6 billion into its truck division by 2019, with a focus on developing electric mobility, connectivity and automated driving technology for commercial vehicles.

Ten vehicles in two variants, with a gross vehicle weight of 18 or 25 tonnes and a range of up to 200km, will be handed over in the next few weeks to customers, who will be testing them in real-world operating conditions.

The trial fleet will be on the road until at least mid 2020 with the aim of establishing the energy requirements and economic efficiency of the electric trucks.

The trial also, importantly, looks to compare the environmental performance of the electric trucks with that of diesel trucks.

The long-term aim, the manufacturer says, is locally emission-free and quiet driving in urban environments with series-production trucks.

"Daimler Trucks is synonymous with innovation leadership, allied to a realistic and pragmatic attitude," says Daimler AG board member responsible for Daimler Trucks and Buses.

"This is particularly true when it comes to electric mobility.

"We now want to work together with our customers to move swiftly forward with the development of our Mercedes-Benz eActros to the point where it becomes a viable proposition in tough everyday operations - both technically and commercially.

"We are beginning this process by creating an innovation fleet and will be supporting its testing in the day-to day logistics environment of our customers.

"This will enable us to establish just what remains to be done, in terms of technical matters, infrastructure and service, to make our Mercedes-Benz eActros competitive."